THANKSGIVING REMINDER FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

Dear School Families,

Please remember that if you travel outside of Illinois to an identified hotspot, you will need to quarantine for 2 weeks and your child(ren) will have to switch to remote learning.

Any international travel requires the 2 week quarantine period as well.

Please use this website to identify hot spots: https://cookcountypublichealth.org/communicable-diseases/covid-19/covid-19-travel-guidance/

Families will be notified if questions arise about travel. Keeping our school community safe is everyone’s job!

Sincerely and With Gratitude and Blessings,

Sheila M. Klich - Principal

BROADCAST THANKSGIVING BLESSING FROM OUR SMTG PARISH

THANKSGIVING BLESSING - Please feel free to pray it over your own dinners and share with family and friends. May God bless you all.

God most provident, we join all creation in raising to you a hymn of thanksgiving through Jesus Christ, your Son.

For generation upon generation, peoples of this land have sung of your bounty; we too offer you praise for the rich harvest we have received at your hands.

Bless us and this food which we share with grateful hearts.

Bless also our nation and our world as we continue in our struggle with this pandemic. Pour out your goodness on those who minister to the sick and dying.

Give your healing mercy to those who are sick and suffering and those who go without this day because they struggle in poverty.

Continue to make our land fruitful and let our love for you be seen in our pursuit of peace and justice and in our generous response to those in need.

Praise and glory to you, Lord God, now and for ever. Amen.

SCHOOL REGISTRATION FOR YEAR 2020-2021

Spaces are available in many Grades!
Please contact our School Office at 708-453-8234 or email our Principal Sheila Klick, Principal at sklich@stcelestineschool.org for more information.

Fall 2020 Reopening Plan Updates - CLICK HERE

CARDINAL CUPICH'S MESSAGE TO FAMILIES
June 8, 2020
Cardinal Cupich on Plans to Reopen Schools

MESSAGE FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO
OCTOBER 23, 2020

Dear Catholic School Families and Employees,

With your help and cooperation, we have gone from a completely remote learning situation in the Spring to mainly in-classroom instruction this Fall. Our COVID-19 protocols have been tested and we are extremely pleased with how our students, families, and employees have successfully implemented our health and safety requirements. Where we have seen cases of infection and had to move cohorts to remote learning quarantine periods, they have been traced to family and social gatherings and out-of-school extracurricular activities. While public health officials discourage gatherings during the Christmas season, we anticipate that some may choose to travel and visit family and loved ones during the school holiday. After considering our experience and the likelihood of familial and travel exposure, we have decided on a December and January schedule and remote learning policy that will help us avoid multiple cohort quarantines due to holiday-related infections.

Please read the policy components below:

• All archdiocesan Catholic elementary schools will pivot to virtual learning for two full school weeks beginning January 4. Schools will return to in-person learning on January 19 (after the MLK Day holiday).
• Please note that the two weeks of remote learning are school days, not an extension of the holiday break.
• Moving to virtual learning for two weeks will allow families who choose to travel or attend family gatherings over the holidays to quarantine for 14 days without a loss of school days or learning time and without jeopardizing the health of other students and staff in their school.
• Schools may provide an on-site extended care option for students whose families would be unduly burdened by the need for two weeks of childcare, at the discretion of the local leadership. Please notify your school principal if your children will need on-site extended care during this period.
• If we experience a significant number of new cases after January 19 because of non-compliance with safety protocols, we will consider additional virtual learning periods for the safety of our school communities. For this reason, we once again urge all families to observe public health guidelines.
• Classes will remain in person for the time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas break. If families or employees are intending to travel for the holiday season, we encourage you to do so over Christmas break and return in time to quarantine for two weeks before classes resume on January 19.

It is my hope that this decision enables all families and employees to enjoy the upcoming holidays and return safely for in-person instruction. If you have questions about how these policies pertain to your school, please contact your school principal.

As a Catholic community, we accept our responsibility to care for the health and safety of others by observing preventive behaviors. We continue to pray for the healing of all affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yours in Christ,

Jim Rigg, Ph.D. - Superintendent of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Our contact information is:
Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools
835 N. Rush Street
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312-534-5200